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Kea Lion: The Remarkable Stone Lion of Ioulis on Kea Cyclades, Greece
 
Kea Stone Lion The Stone Lion of Ioulis in Kea: A little further up the road of the Spring of Kounderis, on an old stone road, lies the Lion of Kea. The Lion of Kea, or Lionda, is one of the most famous sights on the island and is an archaic structure carved out of stone. According to mythology, Kea was once known as "The Water Island" and was given the name Ydroussa.

The island was considered to be inhabited by water Nymphs. Due to its exceptional beauty, the Gods were jealous of the island and sent a lion down to ravage it of its beauty. The lion drove all the Nymphs out of the island and the island dried out.
 

The inhabitants of Kea then asked Apollo's son, Aristaeus for help and he built a temple to the mightiest of all Gods, Zeus. This act pleased Zeus and he brought rain to the island and the nymphs back to it, as well.

The most interesting feature of the Stone Lion is the fact that it has a smiling expression on its face. This adds to the mystery of the statue and its existence, considering that its creator is unknown.
 
Stone Lion Useful Links
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